Hell Hath No Fury
by Sherluis
Summary: Sheridan's thoughts after what she thinks is Luis' betrayal. (Post Ep - 6/5/01)


*** Your Title Here ***

I wrote this after today's episode (6/5/01) wondering what  
was going through Sheridan's mind.

SPOILERS FOR TODAY'S EP BELOW:

HELL HATH NO FURY   
by Sherluis  
*~*~*~*~*~*

He was still beautiful.

She didn't want him to be, she wanted his betrayal to shine  
through, the ugliness and cruelty to mark him like so many  
scars against his flesh. A man's face should show what  
lurked inside, the monster that lived there, happy and  
content beneath its filthy depths in true communion  
with all that was evil and wrong.

But when Sheridan looked at Luis' face, the evil just wasn't there.

How could that be, she thought wildly, torn between running  
into his arms and hitting him with all her might. A trick,  
that's what it was. Harmony's night air, the dull fog that  
shrouded what should have been her special night, clung to  
him, tricking her into loving him still. 

Long after the fact. 

Long after the deed was witnessed and done.

Her brother stood by her side, surprisingly silent. Julian  
was never at a loss for words, could Luis have shocked him as  
well? Wouldn't that be a laugh, Sheridan though, hysteria  
bubbling up, repressed only with a huge effort of will.  
Julian, her foul, reprobate brother, shocked and appalled. 

Who would have guessed?

Who would have thought it?

Luis stood in the doorway, surveying the scene with what  
looked like honest confusion filling his eyes. "Sweetheart?"  
he queried and Sheridan saw him pale at her silent response.

What does he see in my eyes, she wondered? What's written on  
my face? Could it actually mirror what's in my heart? 

Could it truly reflect the pieces of what was once my soul? 

Sheridan didn't think so, nothing could have done justice to  
her feelings at that moment. Being buried alive, what was  
that in comparison to this? 

This was the true living death -- she walked, she talked, she  
breathed, and yet, she was no more alive than the stones that  
made up her father's mansion or the shale Luis had for a  
heart.

A heart? Monsters don't have hearts, do they?

"Honey." Again, his voice, and Sheridan wanted to cover her  
ears and scream. Her beloved's voice, so sweet before, it  
was pure torture now and her control was slipping inch by  
inch. "What's wrong, angel?"

Her mouth was perfectly dry, she suddenly wanted a drink.  
"Julian," she said thickly, two simple syllables sticking to  
the roof of her mouth, her rage so hot she could feel  
droplets of sweat trickle down her back. "Make him leave."

There. Oh, look at his face, she thought, dull triumph  
roaring through her, leaving her weak enough to feel faint.  
Yes, two can play the game of hearts and something black and  
frightening filled Sheridan's being at the sight of her  
fiancee's face turning white, white as salt. 

"Of course, darling," Julian replied, drawing himself up like  
a snake stretching out to meet its victim. 

But Luis wasn't giving up without a fight. "What the hell is  
going on here?" Julian shrank back at his snarl, turning  
tiny and weak at the mere sound of Luis' voice.

Sheridan reeled as well, but from familiarity, not contempt.  
She'd heard that tone before, standing proudly at Luis' side,  
heard him swear his love to her just as vehemently. So, he  
lied in that voice as well, she thought, enraged. 

"Julian!" she shouted, sounding more like her father than she  
ever dreamed she could. "Will you let him stand here and  
insult me like this? Are you my brother, a Crane, or just a  
coward?"

It was Julian's turn to pale, and Sheridan saw his cheek  
twitch with energetic fury. "As you wish, my dear."

The older man's charge was ineffectual. Luis held Julian off  
with one arm, with little or no effort. Julian grunted and  
tried harder to shove but to no avail. Luis turned his dark  
eyes his to his finance's. "Sheridan, do you really want me  
to leave?" 

Such pain in his voice, and she swore he could have fooled  
the devil. "Yes," she said, looking up defiantly. "Get out.  
Leave and don't come back. I don't want to see you again." 

Life's joy left his eyes and to Sheridan's horror she felt  
her soul shrink at the sight. But the fury ... the rage ...  
it masked the agony so very well, like a drug. "Don't you  
dare come back, ever."

Luis blinked and suddenly looked lost, like a child abandoned  
on a train platform. "All right," he whispered, his lips  
trembling, his eyes overbright with tears. "But I'm telling  
you, I don't understand."

Oh God, so beautiful and she nearly gave in. Forgiveness was  
so close, any explanation would do but ...

Julian straightened himself up and dramatically pointed to  
the door. "You heard my sister. Remove yourself from this  
house." 

Luis looked at him narrowly, as if examining a very small,  
very ugly insect. He turned back toward Sheridan. "I'll go,  
but only because you ask me to. But if you think this  
is over ... think again."

He turned and suddenly was gone as what was left of  
Sheridan's soul. She waited for the tears to come, but they  
didn't. Instead a horrible weight settled immediately within,  
as heavy as the universe itself, crushing all other emotions,  
dooming her to a life without feeling -- without happiness ... 

Without love.

Her brother turned to her with a smug smile. "There, I took  
care of him for you."

Sheridan glanced at him, every disdainful emotion surfacing,  
like so many worms burrowing their way through a dead  
creature's bones. "Yes," she whispered, and Julian blanched  
at the horror that must have been shining through her eyes,  
ever the windows to the soul. "Thank you so much, dearest  
brother."

Sarcasm dripping and she lowered herself to the couch,  
everything around her suddenly meaningless. Hell hath no  
fury like a woman scorned, and heaven ...

Heaven hath no rage like love to hatred turned.

No matter how beautiful that love once was.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
end

This is my first Passions fic so all feedback is really  
appreciated. :-D


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